Starting Fires
by inubaby2
Summary: AU. Who would have thought that the 'new girl' could just come into his private life and prove everything he thought was true to be wrong? She's slowly consuming his mind and body and threatening to warm his lonely heart in the process.
1. ACT I

**Genre:** Romance/Drama/Family

**Summary:** AU. Who would have thought that the 'new girl' could just come into his private life and prove everything he thought was true to be wrong? She's slowly consuming his mind and body and threatening to warm his lonely heart in the process.

**Rating:** T

**Characters:** Beck Oliver, Cat Oliver, Jade West, Tori Vega, Trina Vega, Andre Harris, Robby Shapiro.

**A/N:** This is an AU fic. This story is not set at Hollywood Arts. The cast will not openly have the same talents as they do on the show. They will still have some of the same characteristics to stay true to the characters themselves, but other than that there will be no outright similarities connecting this fic to the show. This is my shot at creating something a little different and hopefully a little more interesting with characters I've grown to love. I hope you enjoy! Please Review!

* * *

'_This can't be it…'_

He stared at her, studying her as she shouted obscenities at him. Her skin so pale it almost seemed artificial when he considered how hot and sunny it had been lately. He found himself concentrating on the lines in her forehead and the wild look she had in her eyes, the normally striking blue had taken on a dark hue. He slowly noted how animalistic she seemed as her nose flared up in the same fashion it did whenever she was angry, and then his eyes fell on her lips, opening and closing widely with each condescending word she spat at him. His brows drew together and he frowned thoughtfully, remembering that she was angry at him for some reason…What had she said before he tuned her out, again?

He tried to concentrate on the movement of her lips as her voice, muffled at first, boomed back into his ears with such a force, that he couldn't believe he hadn't heard her before…but he was sure the rest of the student body had tuned in to what he had missed, she was loud enough to bring in a crowd from miles. He sighed,

'_No, this can't be it. This can't be what the fuss is about.'_ When had she stopped being enough? When did this beautiful, outspoken, feisty loner become just some raving, jealous bitch?

His hand moved on its own accord, maybe his body was subconsciously trying to find a way to shut her up. His large hand gripped her chin, pulling her face forward, not with enough force to hurt her but with more than enough to get her attention. He shook his head and let out an exasperated sigh, releasing her from his hold almost as soon as he initiated the contact.

"What do you _want_ from me?" He almost winced at how angry his voice sounded to his own ears. When did he start losing his temper with this girl? Oh, that's right. It was at the same time he realized that he'd grown tired of her bullshit…

'_Too long…'_ he berated himself as she ran her hands through her long black curls and sneered at him with a look of disbelief in her eyes.

"Have you even heard a _word_ I've said?" She fumed. He could have laughed at her in that moment. She looked almost surprised that he would act this way, but should she really be?

"I don't think it really matters, does it? We both know this isn't working Jade, so how about we just drop this bullshit act now?" He spoke with a volume much quieter than the first as he thought about how long they had been pretending to be the perfect couple. He didn't wait for her response when he shut his locker and slung his pack over his shoulder, leaving the halls and the gossiping audience behind him.

When he pulled out of the high school parking lot, he couldn't keep the smile from forming on his face as the sun beamed down through his sunroof and the feeling of relief swam through his body. He didn't realize until now how much she had been suffocating him and deep down he knew that this time was final. They wouldn't make up again. He wouldn't call her late at night after he felt like she'd had enough, and he wouldn't lose an ounce of sleep over it.

He pressed eject on the car stereo and gripped the mix CD in his hands, thinking of all the loud angry songs that reminded him a lot of his relationship the last few months. And without a second thought, he rolled his window down and threw the offending CD out the window. He watched in his rearview mirror as it was run over by a tractor trailer heading west…_Ironic_. It was as if he could suddenly breathe again.

"So long Ms. West…"

* * *

When he arrived home, she was already outside waiting for him. The love of his life…He grinned despite himself as she waved him down, approaching the car in quick strides, barely allowing him to exit the vehicle before barreling into his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist as she beamed up at him, similar to a child.

He only really kept Jade around because of _her_, didn't he? For some strange reason, Cat seemed to take a liking towards Jade more than he could say for any of the girls he brought around. He couldn't explain it, but his sister seemed to believe there was a lot more to the girl than she let on. He even believed that to be true himself once, but his initial image of her was barely a figment of the girl he came to know in their relationship.

He was almost worried about what her reaction would be when he broke the news to her…but he figured she would understand that it was for the best, he just wasn't any happier _with_ Jade than he was alone and he was sure that 'love' wasn't supposed to feel that way—if it existed for that matter. Sure, he loved his sister wholeheartedly and without a single doubt, but love between two people seeking solace or happiness with each other—No, it wasn't made for him. He doubted he'd find a girl who could make him feel that way when he considered his recent failure in that department.

None of it really mattered at the moment though. No one could hold a candle to the girl that he'd loved all his life. He would take care of her without a question asked no matter how their lives turned out. She could still bring a smile to his face almost effortlessly and when he felt like he couldn't stand to be in that house anymore his mind always wandered back to her, reminding him of what he'd be leaving behind. So he put her happiness first, as was expected of a big brother. Even though they only had a mere two years between their ages, he knew he'd aged so much more than she had living how they had for so many years…

"What are you doing out here? I could've sworn Bertha ordered you to stay in bed this morning."

"Aw, come on. It's just a cold,"

"Cat, you know you're not supposed to be out here," He gave her a stern look and she proceeded to pout at him, before releasing him from her hold and allowing him to lead her inside the three-story home that they lived in since Cat was born, sixteen years ago.

She had always been sickly, even as a child. It just seemed like her immune system was never strong enough to withstand the day-to-day activities that 'normal' people were able to. His mother, in a desperate need to keep the rest of her children alive refused to let his sister undergo a set of minor surgeries over the span of two years to improve her health. Instead she hired a house nurse and forced herbs and natural remedies down her throat every second of the day.

He held in a sigh as he entered the day room, his mother was hanging up new drapes again. Purple, with red and yellow flowers mingling together around the trim as they were hung delicately from the matching curtain rod. It was another attempt at bringing life into the lonely home that the three of them shared with his stepfather. His mother turned around when she heard the door close and smiled fondly at her children.

"Look whose home…" She stepped down off her stool and dusted her hands animatedly before smoothing down the ends of her skirt. She had always been a slender petit woman, keeping her shape intact even after three children. Her long dark hair was fastened back in a sleek pony tail. From a distance she looked barely in her 30's, but when in close proximity one could notice the lines in her face and around her tired eyes, gained early in life from the loss of her oldest son and years of worrying over her youngest daughter.

Beck had to bite his tongue. He could feel it twirling around in his mouth eager to help him voice his frustration with their mother. She thought she was doing a good thing keeping his sister locked up inside, which probably was helping more than he'd like to admit; but it didn't take a genius to realize that the girl was lonely being cooped up in this big house by herself all day. She hadn't even noticed that Cat had left the sanctity of their home and for who knows how long? Her condition was even more delicate now that she wasn't feeling well and his mother was as clueless as ever. But instead of lashing out he decided to ignore her instead, putting his hand firmly on his sister's shoulder, nudging her forward lightly in the direction of the stairs.

Cat didn't speak, she could feel the tension radiating off of him. She knew that he was just concerned about her, but did he have to be so rude to their mother? She wouldn't comment on it though, hoping that he would forget about it soon enough and just keep her company, which in the end he did.

He put his bag down outside of her door and sat with her for hours, engaging in conversation about his day, never bringing up her condition or his newly found freedom. They watched some television before she finally fell asleep, not being able to keep herself awake past nine o'clock that evening. He turned off the television before exiting her room, closing the door behind him before retreating up a final set of stairs to his bedroom. It didn't take long for Beck to sink into his bed falling sleep faster than he had in months.

* * *

Wake up. Shower. Go to school. Go home. Sleep.

This was the strict routine he'd been following for the last two weeks. Everything had gotten extremely boring. Nothing had changed aside from spending every free moment he had with Jade. He couldn't say he missed it though. He just wanted something different, anything different _anything_…

He had been sitting in class, dazing off when Mr. Morgan cleared his throat calling for the students' attention. Beck didn't look up however, even when his teacher announced the arrival of a new student.

'Who would switch schools this late into the semester?' Beck thought, but rolled his eyes as Mr. Morgan lamely stumbled over his words while trying to give the student a proper introduction. It wasn't until he noticed the room had hushed and he heard a voice when he instantly looked up to find the owner.

She was alluring, just like her voice. Brown wavy curls framed her face and cascaded down past her shoulders. Her cheeks had pinked, maybe she was embarrassed because of the attention—he didn't know but he noticed how pretty the color in her face looked, _lively_. His eyes traveled past the blue blouse she wore and the jeans that fit her in all the right places, and then all the way down to the black and white classic converse she wore on her feet, sizing her up to the fullest extent. It wasn't until he looked back up at her face that he noticed her staring at him quizzically. She had _caught _him, caught him checking her out with no intentions of being secretive about it. Her head quirked to the side before she made the most distasteful look he'd ever seen a girl make at him, well, a girl that he didn't _know_. He was taken aback by the sudden change in her demeanor and found it hard to keep his expression from giving him away once he noticed everyone was staring at him— wondering what had caused her to have such a reaction, but he never took his eyes off her.

She was approaching him, her eyes never leaving his and he straightened his back in his seat, waiting…and he could have laughed at himself when she sat in the only available seat in the class which was right next to him. Her eyes were now cast straightforward not once looking in his direction again, no matter how many times he would turn his head to look at her, but he noticed though…that no matter how attentive she seemed to be during Mr. Morgan's painstakingly long lecture about photosynthesis, he could tell that she was trying her hardest to _not _look in his direction. He had to admit, she was doing a damn good job, but he noticed how she would squeeze her pen between her fingers every time he glanced at her, stilling her body, forcing herself not to react to him on instinct.

He smiled at that and decided to keep his eyes elsewhere, for her sake. But he couldn't keep his mind off her, even after the class ended and she gathered her stuff dropping her bag in the process. She reached down at the same time he did, their hands touching as they both reached for the strap at the same time, but she avoided his gaze, mumbling a 'thanks' as she quickly left the classroom. He searched for her in the halls, maybe he was planning on introducing himself, he wasn't sure. But she was lost in the halls amongst the rest of his peers. It was strange for him, to be so taken by this girl. What's her name…what _was_ her name?

He racked his mind for it, knowing he had to have heard it when she introduced herself to the class. He had to have heard it roll off her tongue; in that sweet voice of hers…it was long, twisting on his tongue as he tried to figure it out. Making a bunch of '_ia_' sounds in his mind. And then he smiled, feeling triumphant when the name floated from his lips.

"Victoria," he sighed as the halls started to clear and people were heading home. He didn't know a single thing about her besides the fact that she had successfully gotten his attention, even if it seemed that it might be unwanted.

When he got in his car, ready to pull out of the lot to go home, he saw her again as she was getting into a car with another girl that he hadn't seen before. The top was down as the older girl whipped out of the parking lot. Victoria's head was back against the seat and her hair blew softly around her face as she stared out around her and they disappeared down the street and out of his sight.


	2. ACT II

**Genre:** Romance/Drama/Family

**Summary:** AU. Who would have thought that the 'new girl' could just come into his private life and prove everything he thought was true to be wrong? She's slowly consuming his mind and body and threatening to warm his lonely heart in the process.

**Rating:** T

* * *

They had moved six times in the last twelve years because of her father's career. She didn't know much more about the situation than that, even now at almost 18 years old. Her family had been fortunate to have a parent that could provide for them no matter the circumstances over the years, even if it meant not staying in one place for too long.

When she was four it was Massachusetts, home of the Mayflower. When she was six, they moved to good old Connecticut where she met her first love Tommy Dean, who proceeded to break her heart by pushing her into a puddle of mud not too long after she had decided that it was _okay _to like boys.

After Connecticut they moved right on down to Bedford, Pennsylvania, she was seven. Then there was Michigan, where they stayed until she was a preteen. It was the longest that her family stayed anywhere, five years. They were the most exciting years of her young life.

Then they relocated to desolate Wyoming when she was fourteen, the population making up less than one percent of the entire United States. Her sister _hated_ Wyoming and she had to admit that she wasn't too fond of the small town life either. Less than four years after settling in, her parents decided that they would make one last move. After a substantial amount of begging from Trina, they agreed to move to California—'home of the stars'.

Now here she was, standing in an office once again, waiting for the school secretary to finish filling out her schedule, before she was led down the hall to her first class. One would think that she would be used to this by now, but she never failed to get nervous on her first day. It just seemed so much harder, the older she became. She wasn't in elementary school anymore. Kids were less interested in making new friends. The further she got in her education, the more she began to realize how ruthless kids could be. When transitioning from elementary school she was tall and lanky, and didn't seem to fit well in the clothes her mother bought for her. She was on receiving end of more than enough cruel taunts during her awkward phase in middle school. By the time she got to high school her confidence was shot.

The summer before her freshman year in high school introduced the onslaught of many changes in her young body. She had begun to blossom into the slender woman that stood before her first period class that moment. She was lucky enough to only have to introduce herself in two other classes so far. No one spoke to her during her classes though; she found herself dazing off in Statistics, counting down the number of weeks she had until she was done with high school for good. She tried to convince herself that seven months would pass by fast enough, but as she sat alone in the back of the classroom, she couldn't help but feel like she wouldn't fit in at Westchester High.

As if he could hear her self-pitying thoughts, he spoke to her, bringing her out of her thoughts in an instant. She looked around her, checking to see if he was speaking to someone else, but quickly realized that he was surely talking to _her_.

"Hello, is somebody in there?" He waved his large hand in front of her face as he chuckled lightly. She instantly took in his features. His skin was dark and smooth, and his face seemed manly with his hair pulled back casually into a rubber-band.

'_Dreadlocks?_'

"Hey," she managed to muster out after a moment, clearing her throat when she noticed how dry her voice sounded from lack of using it throughout the day.

"I'm Andre," he stated, waiting for her to respond with her own introduction. He held out his hand, signaling that he expected to greet her formally, like a gentleman. She smiled at the gesture.

"I'm Victoria," she reached for his outstretched hand and shook it firmly, before twisting back in her seat when the teacher called for the class's attention. Tori heaved a sigh when the old woman announced a group project. That was another downside to switching schools during the year; she had to struggle to catch up with the curriculum since it varied from state to state and people had already secured their groups, being close friends throughout school together. She had to start at the bottom of the totem pole and work her way up.

Gaining people's trust and friendship never proved a hard task for Victoria, but she felt at odds for some reason. When class was dismissed and she walked out into the bustling hall, she decided to blame it on the size of the place. There had to be at least four thousand students attending this school. She knew that there were over seven hundred students in the senior class alone, a fact that she learned from the school's secretary.

She stood rooted beside a water fountain, concentrating on the numbers and letters on her schedule that made up her next destination.

'_H426_, _four-twenty-six…four…there are four levels in this school?' _She frowned when she remembered that she was currently on the first floor in the building. Before she reached the stair way, someone grasped her shoulder from behind.

"Hey, so about that project,"

'_Andre_,'

"Seeing as you're _new_ and all, I thought maybe you'd need a partner and I'm here to offer you my services." His offer was genuine, like his smile. He didn't seem to be coming on to her in any way, he just seemed to be offering her something she needed—a friend.

"I think I'll take you up on that," she smiled warmly back at him before he jogged up the flight of stairs before her, mumbling something incoherent about being late and crazy teachers. She instantly berated herself for not asking him where her classroom was. She trudged up the flights begrudgingly, silently cursing her sister for begging her parents to move to Los Angeles. Four years in Wyoming had not prepared her for this.

* * *

22 minutes. It had taken her twenty-two minutes after the bell to find her last class. But when she did, she stood in front of the door triumphant, as though it had been trying to hide from her the entire time, but she had finally found it.

"H426," she read aloud to herself, before turning the handle and entering the classroom. It was smaller than her others, there may have been less than twenty students in the entire class. It seemed like the teacher was in the middle of a lecture, but no one appeared to be paying attention. Some were sitting in small clusters; their desks seemed out of place as they formed an 'L' shape together. More than a few others were isolated in rows, as she assumed they were meant to be. She tried to glance around quickly for an open seat to sit in but she couldn't spot one.

She decided that she couldn't just stand around, so she interrupted him as politely as she could.

"Excuse me, sir…" She spoke quietly, trying not to draw too much attention to herself. He was short and balding. A pair glasses bigger than she'd ever seen before rested on the bridge of his nose. He pushed them up with his index finger and they fell back down instantly, taunting him.

"And you are?" He asked in a nasally voice.

"Uh, I'm Victoria Vega. I'm a new st—"

"Oh yes, yes. Why don't you introduce yourself to the class then?" He ushered her further forward before clearing his throat, not seemingly bothered by the lack of attention the students displayed.

"May I have everyone's attention please," He spoke in a more official manner than she expected from the shorter man before he stuttered into her introduction. "This is, ah, Miss… ah, _Vee_..." he trailed off, looking to her for help with her name.

"Victoria," she answered for him, waving half-heartedly to the other students. She took the time to look at each and every one of them, starting from the left side of the classroom. No one waved back, most seemed uninterested, but she did receive a few nods of acknowledgment.

He instructed her to take a seat, calling out a guy's name and asking him to raise his hand. She looked around expectantly but no hand was raised. She waited a few moments before following the eyes of the rest of the students. He was looking at her…

'_Why isn't he saying anything?_' she frowned, watching him as his gaze finally met hers. _'What the…is this guy serious?' _her face contorted as she tried to decide whether or not she should be offended. The teacher cleared his throat once again and she quickly strode towards the empty seat next to _him_, mentally challenging him as she never took her eyes off him before settling down in the seat beside him.

She rested her bag on the floor beside her, and kept her eyes trained forward after she pulled out a pen and notebook. She could still feel his eyes on her, and it was unnerving.

'_What the heck is he looking at?_' She tried her hardest to keep from turning around and asking him what exactly his problem was.

'_Finally_,' she breathed, noticing that he had finally stopped studying her. The rest of the period went by in a blur. She had tuned out the lecture and found herself glancing at the clock every few minutes. She only had seven minutes to go before the last bell and she grew more anxious as each minute slowly ticked by.

'_Come on, come on, come on…._'

When the bell finally rang, it seemed like the entire class bolted up at the same time. She was almost caught off guard by the urgency in their strides. She gathered up her things as quickly as she could, ready to follow suit after the rest of her peers. She had to turn slightly in her seat to grab her bag and she could see him turning towards her, twisting his mouth as if he was trying to find something to say to her and she panicked. She didn't know why, but she could feel her nerves shoot straight through her body. She maneuvered out of the desk, trying to push her things into her bag as she moved but she dropped it in the process.

He was beside her in an instant, bending down at the same time trying to help her with her things. When his hand touched hers, she briefly considered just leaving the offending bag and running from the room to avoid any interaction, but she recoiled her hand and began to rise. He held her bag out to her and she managed to say 'thanks' as gratefully as she could before rushing into the hallway.

'_Smooth Vega,_' she sighed, wondering why she had lost her cool. She retreated down the stairs surrounded by people coming from all sides of the building. When she reached the parking lot she texted her sister who arrived less than five minutes later. That was a first and she was grateful. The top was down on Trina's 1994 BMW convertible and she sported a pair of dark shades, quickly getting used to the California sun. Victoria spoke briefly to her sister as she buckled herself in, before she leaned back in her seat and let herself relax, finally feeling normal again.

* * *

312 La Cienega Avenue.

This was her new home. The standard single family house overlooked Westchester and Inglewood. It was bigger than their last home. There was barely a front yard but the space in the back made up for it. The living room was average as well as the kitchen where her mother currently resided. Mrs. Vega had taken to interior decorating, non-employed. She wanted to make sure her family felt 'at home', considering how much they moved around. She was strategically placing quirky magnets and family photos on the fridge when her daughters entered.

"Hey Mom," they two girls spoke in unison. Tori placed her belongings on the kitchen table before grabbing an apple out of the fruit-bowl. She took large bites and listened while Trina told her mother about her day. Having graduated from high school two years ago and deciding not to attend college off the back, she had free time on her hands. Her father suggested that she find a job, to help support the 'sophisticated' lifestyle she planned to have when they moved here. With her father being the sole provider in their household, he decided that he just couldn't afford to keep letting his eldest daughter spend hundreds of dollars on shoes and clothes, especially if she wasn't going to school at least part-time.

So to compromise, he bought her a used car and if she agreed to get a job that allowed her to work at least forty hours a week, then she could do what she wanted with her money, aside from having to pay for gas and saving at least fifty dollars from each check, then he would agree to pay the car note for her. They had a deal, and today Trina went out to search for her first job and from the sound of it, she had found one.

"…and then they offered me the job mom!" She shrieked jumping up and into her mother's outstretched arms.

"I'm so proud of you, Trina!" She held her daughter for a moment longer and announced that she would be making a celebratory dinner in light of such exciting news. Tori congratulated her sister as well before heading up to her bedroom, leaving her mom and Trina to talk between themselves.

She was tired. She didn't rest well the night before, dealing with the time change. She kicked off her shoes, and took off each article of jewelry. When she reached down, her fingers grasped the ends of her blouse and she pulled it up and over her head, throwing it to the side of her room before retrieving an old rolling stones T-shirt from her dresser. It was a couple sizes too big and she slipped into it easily. She didn't bother to take off her jeans before she sprawled out on her bed, unable to keep her eyes open, replaying the day in her mind before she fell asleep.

* * *

The next day was easier than the first. It seemed a lot longer though, but she assumed it was because she was on time for all of her classes today. She decided that she could like her Statistics class, as long as Andre attended. He made jokes and she laughed, enjoying his company and light hearted humor. He introduced her to Robby Shapiro, who was funny in a weird way, but nice enough. Andre informed her that he would be working with them on the group project, but he assured her that he wasn't as nutty as he seemed and they could depend on him. They exchanged numbers at the end of class and agreed to meet up over the weekend to work on the project together.

It wasn't until she approached room H426, that she could feel her stomach dropping, and her hands began to clam up in anticipation. She didn't know why she was nervous…no, she did. She didn't know how she was going to manage to sit in class beside the dark haired young man and not lose her cool. It was strange, she had barely spoken three words to him, and he managed to unnerve her with just a look. She sucked in a deep breath before entering the class. The room was still fairly empty when she entered; she considered taking a seat somewhere else but thought better of it, considering that they had probably had the same seats since the beginning of the school year.

She counted the rows, trying to remember where she was sitting the day before. After finding her seat, she sat down and waited for the class to fill in, watching the door and all of the people that strode in one by one. The teacher was gearing up to begin the day's lecture when _he _walked in, running his hand through his hair coolly as he approached his desk. He locked eyes with her briefly and if she wasn't mistaken he had smiled at her. She wiggled in her seat a little, and ran her hand through her hair, playing with her soft curls. He shrugged off his leather jacket and sat in the desk beside her, leaning back in his seat as the teacher started the class.

She shook her head slightly, wondering why she had been so worried in the first place. She pushed her previous worries aside and waited for instruction from Mr. Morgan.

"I hope you all brought your books to class today," he started, walking around his desk to stand in front of the class. Victoria looked around the room as the students slowly pulled out their textbooks, and she began to raise her hand slowly.

"Ah, Miss Vega, until we can get you a textbook, you'll have to share with someone next to you," he answered, noticing her dilemma. With that said he returned to his desk and began sifting through his notes, instructing the class to turn to page two-hundred and forty-three in their books. She was at a loss, confused at what she should do. When she turned to her left the girl that sat beside her paid her no attention, not once looking up from her book. She slowly turned to her right and _he_ was already looking at her expectantly.

She didn't know how long they stared at each other, before his arm shot out gripping the side of her desk and dragging it towards him with no effort. The sound of the desk screeching across the floor caused everyone to turn instantly towards them. Their desks were now perfectly aligned together and he placed his book between them, never looking up to acknowledge his peers or their curious stares. He flipped to the desired page before he acknowledged her

"It's Victoria, right?" he questioned, gazing at her, his expression unreadable. She forced herself to not look away from him.

"Uh, yeah Tori…" She nodded her head and there was a pause between them. Feeling the need to fill the silence, they both began to speak at the same time

"I'm Beck—"

"What's your—"

They both smiled and Tori began to speak again at once.

"Sorry," she exclaimed, instantly realizing that she was apologizing for more than one thing. She felt silly for acting the way she had, she had been freaking out for no reason. She had reacted irrationally, and if he hadn't broken the ice between them she would have avoided him like the plague. He seemed nice enough as he turned the pages between them, making small comments here and there and a joke at her teacher's expense.

She laughed a little too loudly and a few students turned to look at them, and Beck couldn't help but to laugh himself when she tried to cough as a cover up. She looked at him, clearly embarrassed and he couldn't stop the grin that formed on his face.

'_Handsome.._.' She thought briefly and quickly felt her cheeks heat up, as if he could hear her thoughts. It didn't help that his eyes lingered on her face a few moments longer than needed.

They spent the rest of the period in silence, the sound of the pages turning were the only things filling the silence. When the bell rang, she scooted her desk back to its rightful position and gathered her things, looking to her book-mate.

"Thanks," she managed to say, a lot smoother than the first time.

"No problem," they both walked out of the room, casually falling in step with each other as they moved towards the stair way.

"So where are you from?" He asked, making small talk.

"Everywhere, we just moved here from Wyoming though." She decided to say, she didn't think he really wanted to hear about all of the places she had lived.

"Oh, wow. _Wyoming_? I didn't know people actually lived there," he chuckled as they reached the third floor.

"Yep, there's not much out there for _anyone_. Unless you like the mountains," she joked lightly, descending further down the stairs, feeling comfortable with the casual conversation. When they reached the parking lot they paused briefly before saying their goodbyes and going their separate ways.

Victoria didn't have to wait long for her sister to arrive. She buckled herself in and relaxed in her seat. She smiled quietly to herself, reflecting on her second day at Westchester…

'_I could get use to this._'

* * *

**A/N: I'd like to give big thanks to '**_**Ayamas4Ever**_**', '**_**becksgirl**_**', '**_**whiskeyhands**_**', '**_**Jeremy Shane**_**', '**_**SarahC20**_**' and '**_**EisleyGirl'**_** for your encouraging reviews! I hope you'll enjoy reading my story as much as I have enjoyed writing it!**


	3. ACT III

**Genre:** Romance/Drama/Family

**Rating:** T

**A/N:** I'm pretty much just making this whole story up as I go, I have yet to decide where I want to go with this and how it will end, so bear with me while I take the time to figure it out. I'm so sorry for those of you who have been waiting so long for an update. I don't feel that it's my best, but I've been very anxious to update. I hope this chapter was well worth the wait. Enjoy

* * *

It had been three weeks and Victoria had already fallen into a comfortable routine. After inviting Andre and Robbie over to work on their project last weekend, they began regularly hanging out together. They promised to help her get better acquainted with Los Angeles. They had already taken her to the 'Hollywood and Highland Center', and the 'El Capitan theatre' to catch a movie. Last night she invited them over for takeout since her parent's went out to explore the town on their own. It had been a pretty uneventful night and Tori decided to turn in early promising to meet them before school in the morning.

Trina dropped her off regularly before school and had been picking her up when she was done, every day since they had moved Los Angeles. This morning should have been a clear indicator that the day would not go as planned.

She woke up on time as usual, stripping down tiredly before taking her time in the shower. She ran her hands through her hair, lathering the strawberry scented shampoo into her scalp. When she finished, she reached for her towel, wrapping it around her securely before she began to blow dry her hair. She was only half way done, when her mother knocked on the bathroom door.

"Tori, can you hear me sweetie?"

"Yes Mom, what's wrong?" Her brows furrowed. She turned off the blow dryer and waited for her mother to respond.

"Trina already left for work; you're going to have to catch the bus this morning."

"_What?_" She was pulling open the door less than a moment later, flashing her mother a look of disbelief. "What?" She repeated.

"The bus stop is a few houses down, it picks up at 7:35."

"What time is it now?"

"It's almost 7:15," before she could say anything else, Tori closed the door in her face. Mrs. Vega could hear inaudible noises coming from the bathroom, before the blow dryer came on again.

Victoria dried her hair as long as she could before racing into her room to throw on her clothes. She settled for the first thing she found, which was an old Star Wars T-shirt that was still big enough to cover her midriff if she didn't stretch too far, although it was a little tight around her shoulders. She quickly found a pair of jeans discarded on her bedroom floor and struggled for a moment to find her bag. She snatched the half eaten sack of Swedish fish off of her desk before running out of her room, grabbing her sneakers before she sprinted down the stairs. She managed to call out a rushed goodbye to her mother before unintentionally slamming the front door behind her.

She was about to check the time before she realized that she'd left her cell phone plugged in beside her bed, forgetting it in her urgency. She sighed and decided to keep moving forward. She searched for a rubber band in her bag before finger combing her hair, ignoring the wavy strands that escaped the rubber band and fell about her face. She didn't slow her pace until she saw a group of teenagers her age crowding around what she assumed was the bus stop. She let out a breath of air, thankful that she hadn't missed her ride.

All eyes turned to her as she approached. She tried to calm her nerves, reminding herself to not get worked up under their curious stares. Victoria had been through this process many times before. She was new here, an outsider, and it was to be expected. She decided to stand a little further from the group, smiling slightly at a girl who nodded casually at her. The bus arrived soon after and she followed behind the other students before taking a seat beside a short blonde, staying quiet on the long ride to school.

* * *

He didn't know how long he had been sitting up. He awoke drenched in sweat from another nightmare. The same one he had been having for years since his brother's passing. He sighed, wiping his forehead of the last remnants of sweat before turning on his side, forcing himself to close his eyes.

'_It's just a dream. There's nothing you can do about it now…_'

Most of his nights were dreamless and he was thankful for that, but it seemed like the nights that he needed sleep the most his mind would work against him, replaying images of that night in his mind; twisting and turning his memories into something ugly. In the end he was running, always running.

Beck squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to keep them closed as long as he could, but his will failed him as his thoughts lingered once again to fiery flames…

He let out a frustrated sigh, before sitting straight up giving up on sleep entirely for the night. He glanced at his alarm clock.

3:42 A.M.

Beck managed to slip in about four hours of sleep before the nightmare took over, better than usual.

He got out of bed and grabbed a T-shirt from his dresser, slipping it over his bare chest before heading to the kitchen. His throat was dry, and he quickened his pace when he felt a sudden need to quench his thirst.

He opened their massive refrigerator and immediately found what he was looking for. He pulled the pitcher out of the fridge and quickly found a clean glass, tempted to drink straight from the jug but decided against it. He poured himself a full glass of his mother's lemonade, not stopping until it reached the rim, he didn't bother to put the rest away before he maneuvered himself easily onto the countertop, sitting lazily on the edge.

Beck would never admit it to his mother, but he did get some satisfaction from the sweet juice. He had stopped drinking it five years ago. It reminded him too much of happier times. It made him feel guilty that he could still enjoy it, something they used to share together.

His expression was stoic as he tried to let his mind drift to something that didn't make his chest tighten up painfully.

"Beck?"

He whipped his head to the side, a little startled at the sound of his sister's groggy voice.

"What are you doing up so late Caterina?" He questioned, the ghost of a smile played on his face as he saw her frown at the full use of her name.

"I thought I heard someone down here," She mustered out, sleep still evident in her voice.

"So you came down here to see who it was? What if I was a burglar?" He joked.

"I knew it was you. No one else walks around in the dark."

He shook his head at his sister's response. She clearly didn't see the fault in her words, but he couldn't bring himself to reprimand her as she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his stomach. He put down his glass and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, concern pooling in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" He maneuvered his hands under her brown hair and rubbed her back, trying to soothe her.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in a while. I just miss you."

Beck sighed and smiled, relieved that it wasn't anything serious.

"I'm sorry," he admitted truthfully. He hadn't really been as open with his sister lately, partly because he had been so occupied. "Get some sleep Cat, tomorrow I promise I'll spend time with you."

"K," She gave him one last squeeze before retreating up the stairs and back to bed. Beck followed soon after, taking out his iPod, listening to music until the sun came up.

* * *

The bus stopped abruptly in the parking lot, a good distance away from the front of the building. Tori placed her hands on the seat in front of her, squeezing her fingers over the rough leather, bracing herself for another sudden movement. The bus driver stood up from her seat, and stood in the middle of the aisle, getting the students attention quickly at the sight of her stocky six-three form. Her bushy hair was squished against the ceiling as she addressed the students.

"Alright, you guys know the deal. It's time for an emergency evacuation…"

Tori sighed along with the rest of the students on the bus. She was not looking forward to the task at hand, growing anxious when the driver tiredly explained the elementary process.

'_Why can't we just get this over with?_' she sighed, resting her forehead on the rear of the seat in front of her.

"Cheer up. It'll be over soon enough,"

Tori raised her head immediately, turning to see where the masculine voice had come from. A pair of striking blue eyes stared back at her amusedly. She assumed the voice had come from him, since he seemed to be the only one paying attention to her at the moment. She turned in her seat and offered him a small smile, unsure of how she should respond.

"Now I'll need two volunteers to help everyone off the rear,"

He didn't take his eyes off of her as he raised his hand, and she instantly straightened her seat, feeling a little uncomfortable. She turned forward and waited for instructions from Marge as two guys exited off the front of the bus.

Almost five minutes passed before Tori began walking slowly down the aisle, regretting sitting so close to the front of the bus. When it was her turn to jump down she was greeted with the guy that spoke to her before. He reached out his hand, smirking up at her. She sucked in a deep breath and placed her hand in his, jumping down onto the pavement below her. Victoria began to laugh nervously when he didn't let go of her hand.

"Um," She quirked her head to the side with a puzzled look gracing her features.

"I'm sorry. I just never noticed you before," He smiled again, releasing her hand but completely ignoring the rest of the students, leaving them to fend for themselves or seek assistance from the other young man.

"Oh! That's probably because I just moved here," She offered, nodding her head as if she were sure that was the reason.

"That must be it. I'm sure I would have noticed someone as cute as you before now," The charming smirk never left his face as he complimented her. She shyly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, not sure of how to respond to his compliment. She took in his tall form, towering over her by at least seven inches. His hair was jet black, complimenting the icy blue color of his eyes. He was handsome, but not in a boyish way. He was clean shaven and smooth, easy on the eyes. She suddenly felt self-conscious.

As if on cue, Robbie Shouted out her name. He waved her down from across the street, standing next to Andre who was tapping his wrist, reminding her that they had somewhere to be. Without a second thought she jogged across the street to catch up with her two friends as they began to walk towards the school entrance. She stopped mid-way and turned back looking for the guy she had hastily ran away from, but he was gone. She frowned, but quickly forgot about it as she began to talk to her friends, quickly falling into step beside them.

* * *

'_Today is not my day,_' Victoria frowned for the umpteenth time that day. In haste to leave her house that morning, she managed to leave her homework at home and fail her first American history pop quiz. Robbie sent her a 'heads-up' text but he was unaware that she was phone-less for the day.

She trudged up the stairs to her last class. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of negative thoughts when she approached. She was looking forward to seeing her science partner, positive that he could lift her spirits.

* * *

He started smiling the moment she walked in. He had finally found a reason to be interested in science, and that reason had just waltz into the classroom and was headed in his direction. A smile graced her gorgeous features as well, returning his slight but welcomed greeting.

She eased into the seat next to him, adjusting her desk until it was positioned side-by-side with his. They had grown accustomed to sharing with each other, aside from the six-hundred-page textbook. She reached in her bag, pulling out the sack of Swedish Fish she had brought with her that morning. She placed it on the desk, offering him some as he placed his book between them carefully.

Tori had received her textbook last week and after Beck realized that they would have to fall back into the traditional seating arrangement, he found it quite convenient to "lose" his own textbook. She had thought nothing of it, until she saw said book peeking out of his book bag the next day. He figured out that the jig was up and offered her nothing but a quick wink and a finger to his lips signaling her to stay quiet on the matter. She had, not just because he asked her to, but because she had grown comfortable with their arrangement and she was sure AP Biology would prove to be a lot less entertaining if she was positioned more than two feet away from the dark-haired young man.

"Nice shirt," Beck commented off handedly as he grabbed a handful of candy from the bag.

"Nice pen," she grinned, noting the pink hello kitty pen lying on the desk between them.

"Ma goo luh cham" he retorted, with a mouthful of Swedish Fish. Once he swallowed he spoke again "We have a quiz today, I'll never fail with my lucky pen." He waved the pen at her for good measure, before placing it back down.

"_What_? Not again," she grieved.

"Again?" He questioned, watching her as she ran her hands over her face, shutting her eyes as if she was willing it all to be a dream.

"I've been having an off day. _First_ I had to catch the bus to school and I ended up leaving my phone _and_ my homework at home. And it was just my luck that today of all days there was a scheduled emergency evacuation which took _way _longer than it should have so I didn't have enough time to run over my speech for my group project with Robbie and Andre. Then it turns out I had a quiz in history that I ended up failing, which I would have possibly been able to be prepared for if I had my cell phone to get the text about it. And now I'm finally able to breathe because this is the last class of the day and it happens to be my favorite and now you're telling me we have a quiz that I haven't studied for." She let out a deep breath, finally taking in a gust of air after her long spew. She felt strangely better after telling someone about it. She turned to look at Beck who could only stare at her in return.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. He shook his head, holding out the Hello Kitty pen towards her, indicating for her to take it.

"What?" She was confused, he had just told her…

"You need it more than I do," He offered a small smile, before turning his attention towards the teacher. She smiled despite herself at the gesture. She normally didn't believe in that kind of thing, but at the moment she could only cross her fingers.

* * *

"Thanks for the pen," they walked casually down the hallway towards the parking lot, walking at slower pace than usual.

"No problem, I hope it worked for you."

"I hope so too," she smiled as they continued to walk with each other until they reached the parking lot. He was about to say goodbye before she groaned.

"Shoot, my cell phone! How am I going to call Trina?" She spoke aloud to herself. She frowned and began chewing at the insides of her cheeks, a habit she picked up over the years that seemed to surface whenever she was worried. She didn't hear him when he spoke to her, she had forgotten his presence until he tugged at her hand, lacing his fingers with hers briefly when she didn't seem to object, slightly dazed after running through options in her mind.

"Do you need a ride?" He questioned, squeezing her hand lightly to get her attention before releasing it and shoving it in his pocket.

"Uh…don't worry about it. I'll just wait for my sister to show up." She smiled and tried to wave him off.

"Tori, it's no problem." He stated firmly, expecting the argument to end there since they were already walking in the direction of his car.

"Are you sure? I can just wa–"

"_Really_. It's not like I have anywhere to be right now anyway." He shrugged, before walking around to the passenger's side and opening the door for her. He nodded his head, beckoning her to get in.

"Ok," she smiled nervously at him, before taking a seat in his black two-door jeep wrangler. She buckled herself in when he shut the door and walked around to the driver's side. He got in the car, fastening himself in before skillfully backing out of the parking space and leaving the grounds.

"Where do you live?"

"La Cienega Avenue, about fifteen minutes from here," she answered, looking ahead and watching the steady flow of traffic. "You're going to make a left at the exit."

They were quiet for a while, letting a comfortable silence fill the car, until Beck turned on the car stereo, pressing the play button on the CD player. A familiar song started to play and Beck began to drum his fingers on his steering wheel.

"_You_ listen to Arctic Monkeys?" Victoria questioned right away, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I believe the fact that we're listening to this song should be enough confirmation Mrs. Vega," He replied, smiling a little as she shook her head.

"I just didn't peg you for that kind of guy," she continued

"Oh really," That caught his attention. She didn't respond for a while so Beck began to speak again.

"Ok, I'll bite. What'd you think I'd listen to?" He was curious to find out what she thought of him.

"Well…" She hesitates, suddenly growing nervous. She wasn't sure how to respond because she didn't want to offend him. She had noticed some things about him since they'd become aquatinted with each other. She would see him around school sometimes, but he was almost always by himself. She never really saw him interact with anyone much and from his choice of clothes, she had thought him to be more of a 'circa survive' kind of guy. He didn't seem depressed by any means, just quieter. He seemed more observant, lonely even…

'_He's going to think you're a freak if you admit to watching him like that_' she scolded herself before choosing her words carefully.

"I don't know, something a little less indie-rock," she offered. Deciding that she wouldn't comment any further, she turned the music up.

"Hasn't anyone told you to never touch someone's car-stereo?" He smirked when she retracted her hand guiltily. He was about to tell her that he was just joking when she straightened up in the passenger's seat, a determined look playing on her features before she quickly came up with a retort.

'_Cute_' he thought to himself, laughing at her attempt to defend herself. They engaged in small talk the rest of the ride. They talked about some other bands he liked. He listed off a few that she recognized: The Kooks, Radiohead, and The White Stripes. She offered to make him a MIX CD of some good songs when she realized that he hadn't heard some of her favorite bands. He agreed to do the same when she admitted that she had no idea who 'The Strokes' were.

When they arrived at her home, she invited him in. She had a few CD's that she wanted him to listen to off the back. Once they were inside she quickly noted that her family wasn't home. She told him to make himself comfortable before she ran upstairs to grab her phone. She sent her sister a quick text to let her know that she had made it home before grabbing a few CD's and joining Beck downstairs.

"Do you want something to drink?" she asked, walking over to the kitchen.

"Yeah sure," He reclined on the sofa, looking around him, taking in his surroundings. He heard her make a noise from the kitchen. He watched her as she reached above her head, stretching to get a couple of glasses from the cabinet. The hem of her shirt rose up, allowing him to see some of her flawless tanned skin before she moved to the fridge, her pony-tail swinging behind her.

She returned with two glasses of fruit juice. She sat down on the other sofa adjacent to him. Victoria reached her hands up and pulled her rubber-band loose, letting her hair fall carelessly in waves about her shoulders before she sank back into the seat sighing appreciatively.

Yes, Beck had decided. Tori Vega was _very_ cute.

She opened her laptop and popped in the first CD. She looked up at Beck and instantly noticed how uncomfortable he looked.

"Are you okay?" She patted the seat next to her, "You're sitting kind of far Mr. Oliver." She smiled teasingly. He didn't reply, but he moved over to the sofa where she was seated and sat beside her, his leg brushing comfortably against hers.

"Better?" he questioned. His voice was lower than usual as smirked back at her. She was suddenly aware of his proximity and their surroundings and she tried her best to push the thought away from her mind while they listened to music, surfing the web periodically.

* * *

When Mrs. Vega entered the household she was greeted with the sight of the two teens laughing hysterically on the sofa. Her daughter's head was leaning on his shoulder as she held her stomach. His head was thrown back and his hand covered his mouth as if he was trying his hardest not to laugh.

"Tori, I'm glad you made it home," she called, a little guilty for ruining the moment when the two sobered up almost instantly at her intrusion. Beck straightened up in the sofa next to her daughter, removing his arm from around her shoulder, vaguely remembering how it got there in the first place.

"Oh, hey Mom," She ran her hand through her hair, a little flustered at the interruption. She didn't know why, since they hadn't been doing anything wrong. She just felt like she had been _caught _for some reason. "What's up?"

"I just came home from the store, and who is this young man?" She asked in a friendly tone, setting a few grocery bags down beside the counter.

"Oh, this is–"

"Beck," he stood and extended his hand, running his other one through his hair nervously.

"Hello," she shook his hand politely, before moving into the kitchen to unload the groceries. "Will you be staying for dinner?"

"Um, actually I should probably get going. I didn't realize how much time had passed…" he trailed off, and Mrs. Vega smiled knowingly.

"Alright, well it was nice meeting you." She retreated further into the kitchen, allowing her daughter to have a little more privacy.

Tori stood up as well, pulling her shirt down before smiling up at him.

"Well this was fun," she laughed.

"You had fun learning that my music taste is superior to yours?" He teased

"Oh, yes. It was very informative oh great one." She placed her hands together and bowed for effect, earning a chuckle from him.

"I've got to get going," he walked towards the door, picking up his jacket from the arm of the reclining chair. He stood in the open door way, not sure of what to say. Victoria seemed to be in the same predicament as an awkward silence passed between them.

"We should hang some time, you know, if you want" Victoria spat out quickly.

"Yea, that'd be cool," He smiled back at her. His hand suddenly reached out. Victoria could feel his fingers graze the skin near her waist where her shirt had risen up again and tried not to shudder. She felt him remove her cell phone from her pocket and watched as he clicked away on it before handing it back to her.

"I'll catch you later," he nodded his head at her before walking outside to his car. She closed the door behind him and let out a deep breath, turning around to face her amused mother.

"He's very handsome,"

"Yeah…well I'm going to do some homework!" Victoria grabbed her laptop and ran up the stairs to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her before lying down on her bed, sighing girlishly; unable to contain the grin that instantly graced her lips.

* * *

It had been less than 24 hours since Beck gave her his number. She wished she had a girl friend to give her some advice on what she should do. She was sure of one thing: She liked hanging out with him, outside of the classroom. It didn't hurt that he was attractive either. So what does a girl do in these situations? Victoria had no clue. She'd only had one boyfriend her entire life and she couldn't say the seventh grade romance counted for much.

So she did the only thing she could do, just continue to be normal. She would carry on with the same routine because nothing had changed. Not really. The only substantial difference was a new contact number in her cell phone, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't keep herself from biting the insides of her cheeks as she headed towards her sixth period class the next day. She was so focused on 'being cool' that she was barely paying attention to what was happening around her until she slammed hard into someone in front of her, stumbling backwards towards the floor. She braced herself for impact but it never came.

A pair of hands gripped her forearms, hoisting her up safely. A deep chuckle escaped her savior's lips before he spoke

"We meet again,"

'_Bus boy'_

His eyes were just as blue as she remembered, dancing with mischief. He didn't let her go immediately.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention, are you okay?" She rushed out, looking him over with concern.

"I'm good. I should be asking about you,"

"I'm fine, just trying to get to class…" she laughed nervously, embarrassed that she had run into him like this. She started to move around him when he questioned her

"I didn't catch your name," he extended his hand to her.

"Oh," she reached out her hand before placing it in his. "I'm Tori Vega, and you are?" She smiled.

"Ryder Daniels." He released her hand, smirking at her one last time before leaving in the opposite direction. Victoria did the same, her thoughts jumbled as she continued her on route to class.

'_How's a girl supposed to survive at this school when there's a cute guy at every corner_?'


End file.
